This tutorial shows how to create buttons to page views in PDFs with Adobe Acrobat.
[Typewriter sounds]
Hello, my name is Erin.
I’m a technical writer and editor who shares step-by-step software tutorials and writing tips for the real world
on this channel and on my blog at erinwrightwriting.com.
Today’s tutorial shows how to create buttons to page views in PDFs with Adobe Acrobat.
A page view is the part of the PDF you see on your screen when you create the button link.
Therefore, you can link the button to anything viewable in your PDF,
such as a specific part of a page, a form, or an image.
We’ll also look at how to edit existing page view buttons and how to distribute buttons across multiple pages.
I’ll be using Adobe Acrobat Pro DC.
The steps are the same in Acrobat Standard DC, Acrobat 2020, and Acrobat 2017.
Adobe’s free PDF display software, Acrobat Reader, does not provide a way to create buttons.
However, buttons created in Acrobat will work in Reader.
It’s important to note that Acrobat’s buttons may not work in all apps and/or devices.
Therefore, you should test your buttons in a variety of environments
if your audience will access your PDF with apps other than Adobe Acrobat, Acrobat Reader, or a standard web browser.
Before we begin, let’s quickly answer the question:
What is the difference between a page view button and an internal link?
Page view buttons and internal links both help readers move to specific parts of the PDF.
However, buttons can be duplicated in the same spot across every page or a specific page range.
Internal links can’t be duplicated; however, they are easier to blend with the surrounding text.
To learn more about internal links, please watch my other tutorial
titled “How to Create Internal Links in PDFs with Adobe Acrobat.”
To begin creating a page view button, select the Tools tab.
Then, select Rich Media in the Tools Center.
Next, select Add Button in the Rich Media toolbar.
Now, move the button outline to the location where you want to create the button.
You can click that location if you want to accept the default button size.
Or, you can click and drag your mouse to resize the button outline.
Next, type the name of the button in the Field Name text box.
This doesn’t have to be the same as the label that will appear in the button.
And then select the All Properties link.
When the Button Properties dialog box appears, select the Actions tab.
Ensure that Mouse Up is selected in the Select Trigger menu.
Next, select "Go to a page view" in the Select Action menu.
Followed by the Add button.
The Create Go to View dialog box will appear.
Leave this dialog box open as you scroll to the part of the PDF that the button should link to.
Remember that the button will link to the view of the PDF shown on your screen rather than to a specific page.
And, that view doesn’t have to start at the top of a page.
Once you have the location you want to link to visible on your screen, select the Set Link button.
When the Button Properties dialog box reappears, notice that your selection is now listed as an action.
Select the Options tab.
And then enter the text you want to appear in the button in the Label text box.
Next, select the Appearance tab.
And then choose your button’s border color,
line thickness,
fill color,
line style,
font size,
text color,
and font style.
When you’re finished select the Close button.
If you went to test your new button, select the Close button in the Rich Media toolbar.
The button won’t work if the Rich Media toolbar is open.
You can edit an existing button’s action, which is where it links to, and it’s appearance.
These steps will work for any buttons in your PDF, not just page view buttons.
To begin, select the Tools tab.
Followed by Rich Media in the Tools Center.
Next, select the Select Object button in the toolbar.
And then right-click the button and select Properties from the shortcut menu to open the Button Properties dialog box.
To edit the action, select the Action tab and then select the existing action.
Followed by the Delete button.
And then create a new action as we did before by selecting "Go to a page view."
Selecting the Add button.
Scrolling to a new location.
And then selecting the Set Link button.
Continue to edit the button properties in the Options tab and in the Appearance tab, as necessary.
When you’re finished, select the Close button.
You can distribute or copy your page view buttons across all the pages in your PDF or across a specific page range.
These steps will also work for any other buttons in your PDF, not just page view buttons.
Once again, we’ll reopen the Rich Media toolbar by selecting the Tools tab.
Followed by Rich Media in the Tools Center.
Select the Select Object button.
And then right-click your button and select Duplicate Across Pages from the shortcut menu.
When the Duplicate Field dialog box appears,
select the All if you want your button duplicated on all pages.
Or, select From and enter a page range in the text boxes.
When you’re finished, select the OK button.
And then select the Close button in the Rich Media toolbar.
Your button should now be distributed across multiple pages.
As always, remember to save your PDF to save your changes.
I have created many other videos about Adobe Acrobat, including “How to Create Navigation Buttons in PDFs with Adobe Acrobat,”
and “Three Ways to Create Bookmarks in PDFs with Adobe Acrobat.”
Please see the complete list in the playlist titled “How to Use Adobe Acrobat,” which is linked in the description box below.
The companion blog post for this video showing all the steps we just performed
appears on erinwrightwriting.com, which is also linked below.
Feel free to leave me a comment if there’s a specific topic related to Adobe Acrobat, Microsoft Word, or Google Docs
that you would like me to talk about in the future.
And please subscribe to my channel so you don’t miss future tutorials.
And give this video a thumbs-up if you found it helpful.
Thank you so much for watching!
[Typewriter sounds]